Residential or home air conditioners include an external condenser unit having a coil wherein a refrigerant is circulated through the coil for heat exchange purposes. During operation, the coils are cooled by a fan which draws external air over the condenser coil.
There have been numerous attempts in the past to use water to cool condenser coils to thereby enhance the efficiency. See the following patents:
Patent No. Inventor and Title 2,278,242 Chapman For: EVAPORATIVE COOLER 4,028,906 Gingold et al For: FOGGING DEVICE FOR COOLING A CONDENSER COIL 4,170,117 Faxon For: MIST SPRAY APPARATUS FOR AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER 4,240,265 Faxon For: MIST SPRAY APPARATUS FOR AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER 4,274,266 Shires For: WATER COOLING SYSTEM FOR AIR COOLED AIR CONDITIONERS 5,003,789 Gaona For: MIST AIR CONDITIONER FOR EVAPORATIVE COOLER 4,542,627 Welker For: COOLING APPARATUS FOR AIR CONDITIONER AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS 4,685,308 Welker For: TEMPERATURE RESPONSIVE COOLING APPARATUS 5,117,644 Fought For: CONDENSER COIL COOLING APPARATUS 5,285,651 Marine For: AIR CONDITIONER COOLING APPARATUS 5,311,747 Pringle et al For: WATER-ASSISTED CONDENSER COOLER 5,605,052 Middleton et al For: MIST SPRAY SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATION CONDENSERS
For the most part, these units are not satisfactory because some unduly block airflow and/or they tend to cause excessive rusting of the condenser coils and the associated hardware in the external condenser unit.
The object of this invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for misting home external condenser units which does not cause excessive rusting and is more efficient and less costly and is easy to install.
According to the present invention, a fine spray mist is formed in the airflow stream about twelve inches up-stream or spaced away from the condenser unit so as to cool the air being drawn into the condenser unit. This cooled air allows the fluid in the condensing unit to change state much easier and faster. On very hot summer days, the present invention removes some super heat from the air and lowers the suction pressure; for instance, by removing this extreme heat when the temperature is in the high 90's and the heat index is 110.degree. or above. The flash gases returning on the suction side of the condenser can condense back to liquid form much easier thus lowering the current drawn by the condensing unit and the air conditioning unit plus reduce running time on the condensing unit and also on days which have extreme heat will allow the unit to cycle on and off in synchronism with the thermostat.
Moreover, by making the water spray in the form of a mist, less water is required because of the size of the spray heads and this is the only time the water is being used, e.g. when the thermostat calls for cooling. Because the water is in the form of a cloud or mist, there is less tendency for water to collect in the condenser unit so that the condenser unit does not rust out. In other words, no pool of water or water droplets are retained within the condensing unit.
If the heating unit has a heat pump and underground wiring going to a coil on the solenoid valve, for installation unscrew the water line at the spigot where the water supply was picked up and attach the one-quarter inch outside dimension plastic tubing. Before starting up in the spring, it is preferable that the spray orifice be washed in warm soapy or soda water to remove encrustation and the like and then rub a little Vaseline.RTM. (petroleum jelly) on the rubber orifice and screw them back into the three tees. Hook up the ground wire and this prepares the unit to be ready for next Spring.
It must be remembered that the invention is not sucking or drawing water through the condensing unit. The mist generated by the spray orifices just cools the air down to make the heat exchange process more efficient, and this is the process which makes the unit operate exceptionally well.